Sound simulating and reproducing system



Aug' 2, 1966 G. H. SCHGENBAUM 3,264,410

SOUND SIMULATING AND REPRODUCNG SYSTEM Filed NOV. 1, 1962 3 4 7 /Y/c/Po PHG/V5 ,4 MPL F75/e lNvENroR G50/P65 Af, 50Min/5A wv c9273. BwMqoM/ ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,264,410 SOUND SIMULAIING AND REPRODUCING SYSTEM George H. Schoenbaum, West Islip, N.Y. Marketing Co-ordination, Stmdard Oil Company (N.J.), 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York 20, N.

Filed Nov. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 234,661 2 Claims. (Cl. 179-1) This invention relates to a sound system 4and in particular to a sound system which is designed to pick up and reproduce noises produced by natural phenomenon.

The invention has special utility for those who like to listen to the fall of rain on a root. Because the living quarters of most residences are :located in stories below that immediately under the roof, which in most cases is made of some non metallic material such as wood shingle, itile or slate, they do not easily have a chance to indulge their taste in this respect. Rain lon metallic roofs, in particular, has for some people a soothing and relaxing effect and it is, therefore, thought desirable to simulate the sound as so produced 'and reproduce it at some remote but accessible location. To this end the invention contemplates the mounting of a metallic plate outside a building preferably over its roof and arranging for a sound pick-up device, which is protected from the elements, to be accoustically related to the plate. The simulated `sound of falling rain on a roof is transmitted by the plate to the pick up and is reproduced in a remote speaker which is located in one of the lower stories of the building.

One object of the invention is to provide a sound system which is especially adapted to simulate and reproduce at a remote location the sound of rainfall on metallic roofs.

Other objects and advantages of the inventio-n may be appreciated by persons skilled in the lart on reading the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which.

FIG. l is a schematic diagram of the sound simulating Iand reproducing system,

FIG. 2 is an isometric showing the container of the sound simulating and reproducing system,

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing a microphone pick-up and sound reproducing plate in combination with a portion of a building roof, and

FIG. 4 is a modified form of invention being a partial vertical section.

As shown in FIG. l the sound reproducing system comprises a pick-up 3 connected by lead 4 to amplifier circuit 5 t-o the output of which is connected a speaker 6 by lead 7. In practice there may be a plurality of microphones disposed in severallocations where they are here able to pick up natural sound in the out-of-doors such as the rustling of leaves and the singing of birds. Also, there Amay be several speakers located each in different rooms of ythe building.

In FIG. 2 there is shown a special housing or container 8 of frusto-pyramidal yshape for housing the pick-up 3. The container is disposed over a building roof 9 on frame 9a and is open at its bottom end. Its five sides have inserted vibratory discs 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d and 10e (not shown), preferably falbricated orf tin, so disposed that rainfall may impinge directly on rthem whereby sound may be transmitted int-o the interior of the container where the pick-up is located. It may 'thus be seen that the container 8 serves the dual purpose of a housing for the pick-up to protect it from the elements and as a sound transmitter rfor the pick-up being especially Iadapted to simulate and transmit the sound of rain falling on a tin roof.

As shown in FIG. 3 the disc 10a of the container 8 is apertured to receive adjusting screws 12 which are rotatably mounted thereon. A pick-up supporting plate 13 is adjustably supported by the screws 12. By these means the pick-up can be located .as desired with respect to the top metallic disc 10a, Which would presumably receive the most rainfall, and also the other discs 10b, 10c, 16d and 10e. In addition, a pair of bird perches 14 and 15 are secured to the top wall 'of the container 8 and `serve to attract birds to the container within which a sufficiently sensitive pick-up may be enabled to respond to their singing.

In the modified form of invention shown in FIG. 4, the microphone 3 is secured to the underside ofthe building roof 9 which serves to protect the microphone. Attached to the outside of the roof 9 is a sheet metal plate 16 which is acoustically coupled to :the microphone 3. It has been found in practice tha-t the sound of [falling rain impinging onto the plate '16 is effectively transmitted to the microphone through the portion of the roof disposed between the sound reproducing and pick-up elements.

It may be appreciated that various embodiments of the invention may be eiected by persons skilled in the art Without departing from the scope and principle of invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A sound system comprising a housing, one wall of said housing being at least partially metallic and adapted to transm-it sounds originating outside of said housing, said housing being pyramidal frustum in shape, a sound pick-up disposed in `said housing and acoustically coupled to pick up sounds ltransmitted by ysaid metallic wall, a speaker without and remote from said housing and loonnected to said pick-up and means dor amplifying the sound in said speaker.

2. A sound system comprising a housing, one wall of said housing being at least partially metallic and adapted to transmit sounds originating outside of said housing, said housing being pyramidal frustum in shape, a sound pick-up disposed in said housing and acoustically coupled to pick up sou-nds transmitted by said metallic wall, said pick-up being adjustable in position with respect to the top wall of said housing, a speaker Without and remote from said housing and connected to said pick-up and means for amplifying the sound in said speaker.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 70,752 8/1926 Green et al. 179-179 X 2,065,578 12/1936 Glen 179-1.6 2,403,231 7/ 1946 Parisier l79-l.6 2,433,250 12/ 1947 Wiebler 179-178 FOREIGN PATENTS 632,216 11/ 1949 Great Britain. 526,277 5/ 1955 Italy.

KATHLEEN H. CLAFF Y, Primary Examiner.

STEPHEN W. CAPELLI, ROBERT H. ROSE,

Examiners.

A. SANTORELLI, R. MURRAY,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. A SOUND SYSTEM COMPRISING A HOUSING, ONE WALL OF SAID HOUSING BEING AT LEAST PARTIALLY METALLIC AND ADAPTED TO TRANSMIT SOUNDS ORIGINATING OUTSIDE OF SAID HOUSING, SAID HOUSING BEING PYRAMIDAL FRUSTUM IN SHAPE, A SOUND PICK-UP DISPOSED IN SAID HOUSING AND ACOUSTICALLY COUPLED TO PICK UP SOUNDS TRANSMITTED BY SAID METALLIC WALL, A SPEAKER WITHOUT AND REMOTE FROM SAID HOUSING AND CONNECTED TO SAID PICK-UP AND MEANS FOR AMPLIFYING THE SOUND IN SAID SPEAKER. 